We didn't know, say villagers after nobody attends clear-up

A Shropshire villager claims residents didn't turn up to a community clean-up event because they didn't know it was taking place.

Street wardens and Street Scene staff said they had to clean up St Martins, near Oswestry, on their own on Tuesday after no volunteers turned up to an organised litter-pick.

But Bryan Swain, from Kimberley Lane in St Martins, said he didn't know about the event and other villagers had also been in the dark over the litter pick.

Shropshire Council officials said they had asked villagers to join the event, as part of the national Big Tidy Up campaign, but no-one arrived at the meeting point.

Workers instead carried out tasks alone. Steve Davenport, Shropshire councillor for St Martins, had said it was a "shame" the community hadn't got involved.

Mr Swain said: "If people organise something like this they should send some flyers round. If you don't know about it how can you help? We would have done it if we had known about it."

Simon Alton, Shropshire Council spokesman, said: "We informed residents about the litter pick through the local media, including the Shropshire Star, and the council's website. The parish council also put posters up on their noticeboards around St Martins."

He said there would be more opportunities for volunteers to help tidy up.